Telephone protector



April 14, 1931. J 3 BA ER 1,800,978

TELEPHONE PROTECTOR Filed April 24, 1929 Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN S. BAKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOCOOK ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOISTELEPHONE PROTECTOR Application filed April 24,

My invention relates to terminal boxes and more particularly tosub-station protectors used particularly for telephone, telegraph orlike systems.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a terminal boxwhich is compact, durable and simple in construction; to provideimproved means in a terminal box for accommodating, distributing, andconnecting 1 the conductors leading thereinto; to provide an improvedmounting, preferably of porcelain, which permits minimum spacing of theterminals accommodating the conductors; to provide improved means forgrounding the protective devices associated with a terminal box; and toprovide improved means for assuring a grounded connection for the coverof a terminal box, this means acting also as a guide for the cover as itis placed in position over the terminal box.

Other objects and advantages willbe apparent from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a terminal box mounted in position; I

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one side of the terminal box with thecover shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is asimilar view of the opposite side of the terminal box;

Fig.4 is also asimilar view looking at the device from .another side;and 1 Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on 35 line 55 of Fig. 4.

The device illustrated in the drawing comprises a horizontal base 1 anda vertical wall 2 which may be integrally formed with the base and madeof any suitable insulation material such as porcelain. Protectivedevices comprising suitable fuses '3 and lightning arresters 4 may be,if so desired, disposed on one side of vertical wall 2. The mounts forsuch protectivedevices comprise spring 46 conductors 5 for receiving thelower ends of fuses 3. These spring conductors have angularly extendingarms 6 disposed against the flat surface of wall 2 and held in positionby line terminals 7 and 8. Line terminals 7- and 8 may be of anysuitable construction for protective devices and extending outwardly1929. Serial No. 357,662.

receiving the usual line wires 9 and 10 entering the terminal boxthrough openings 11 formed in base 1. Similar spring conductors 12receive the upper ends of fuses 3 and are likewise held in position bytheir arms 13 which engage against wall 2 in proper relation withterminals 13 and 14 accommodating wires 15 and 16 leading to thesubscribers line.

Vertical wall 2 may have its upper end formed with a recess 17 adaptedto receive a plate 18 which, with arms 13, form a suitable recess forreceiving lightning arresters 4. Plate 18 is preferably grounded bymeans of a rod 20 mounted on wall 2 between the from both sides. One endof rod 2 constitutes a terminal 21 for receiving a grounded wire 22.Grounded wire 22 together with subscribers wires 15 and 16 may leave theterminal box on the side opposite to the line wi res through openings 23formed in base 1. While it is not essential, I prefer, however, toarrange the protective devices in parallel relation in order to securecompact and officient grouping. Rod 20 extends from one side of wall 2between lightning arresters 4 and fuses 3. Rod 20 is grounded by groundwire 22 and consequently, a sleeve of insulation 25 is disposed on rod20 between the fuses. To assist in securing compact arrangement of thelive parts on wall 2 and the minimum spacing thereof, between oppositesides of the circuit, wall 2 is provided with a longitudinal slot 26passing between the line terminals 7 and 8 and the subscribers terminals 13 and 14. Within predetermined limits, slot 26 prevents the currentcreeping across these terminals, and consequently, results in permittingthese terminals to be spaced closer together on wall 2 than if the slotwere omitted.

A suitable cover or enclosure 28 is placed over the whole to enclose thesame. Rod 20 is extended far enough from opposite sides of wall 2 tocontact with the sides of cover 28 as the cover is placed in position.Being grounded, rod 20 assures that the cover is at all times groundedbecause it is impossible for the cover to be in position without com 1tacting at either end, or both ends, of the said wall, and a coverplaced over the whole rod 20. Another advantage of the provision of rodin the form as shown herein is that the cover is guided as it ispositioned over the device, thereby preventing accidental con-- tactthereof across the opposite terminals and at the same time assuring thatthe cover is grounded as soon as it is slipped into position. Cover 28provides a substantially airtight enclosure for the terminal box. Itextends downwardly and tightly fits about the periphery of base 2. Theterminal box may be mounted in any suitable way, say

bv an angle bracket 30 adapted to be bolted 1 t6 base 1 at 31.

It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various detailchanges maybe made in vthe arrangement of the parts carried by wall 2 withoutdeparting frointhe advantages obtained by the provision of grounded rod20 for guiding and grounding cover 28 as it is placed in position andthe provision of slot 26 in wall 2 for permitting closer or minimumspacing of the terminals and other live partsof the circuit.

' I claim: 7

1. A terminal box comprising a horizontal baseportion and a verticalwall preferably integral therewith and of insulation material, terminalposts at the upper and lower ends of said vertical wall, protectivedevices carried by said terminal posts on one side of vices mounted uponsaid wall, terminals at v opposite ends of said protective devices forreceiving the incoming and outgoing cone ductor' connections, said wallhaving a recess therein, a grounded plate in said recess, lightningarresters disposed upon said wall in recessed relation against saidgrounded plate, a grounded terminal member connected to said plate, anda cover placed over the whole so as to enclose the same.

3; A terminal box comprising a base and 7 an upwardly extending wall ofinsulation material, protective devices mounted onone side of said wall,terminals at opposite ends of saidprotective devices for receiving theincoming and the outgoing conductor connections at the opposite sidesrespectively of said wall, said wall ha-ving therein a longi'-' tudinalslot between said terminals, to per-. .mit minimum, spacing. of saidterminals on scribed my name.

so as to enclose the same.

4. A terminal box'comprising a base and a wall extending therefrom ofinsulation ma terial, protective devices carried by said wall, terminalsat opposite ends of said protective devices for receiving conductorconnections, said wall having therein a longitudinal slot between saidterminals to permit minimum spacing of said terminals on said wall, anda cover placed over the whole so as to enclose the same. 7

5. A terminal box comprising a base and a wall extending therefrom ofinsulation material, protective devices and terminals therefor carriedby said wall, said wall having therein a longitudinal slot between saidterminals to permit minimum spacing of" said terminals on said wall, anda cover placed over the whole so as to enclose the same. 7 V

6. A terminal box comprising a wall, protective devices and terminalstherefor carried by said wall, said protective devices including fuses,lightning arresters, and a groundedplate associated with said lightningarresters, a grounded terminal member connected to said plate andpassing through and extending a distance therefrom on each side of saidwall, and a cover placed over the whole so as to enclose the same,said-cover being grounded by substantially contsant contact with saidgrounded terminal member.

7. A cable terminal comprising amounted wall of insulation material,protective devices mounted upon said wall, terminals at opposite ends ofsaid protective devices for receiving the incoming and outgoing conductor connections, said wall having a recess at one end, a groundedplate in said recess and lightning a-rresters disposed upon said wall inrecessed relation against said grounded plate and forming a part of theconnections at one end between said protective devices and saidterminals.

8. A terminal box comprising a wall, protective devices including fusesandlightning arresters carried by said wall, a cover placed over thewhole so as to enclosethe same, and a grounded terminal member ingrounded relation with said lightning arresters and extending fromopposite s'idesi of said Wall to contact with and thereby ground saidcover.

' 9; terminal box comprising a wall, protective devices carried by saidwall, a grounded terminal member forQsaidprotective devices extending adistance therefrom oneach side of said wall, and a cover placed over thewhole so as to enclose the same, said cover 7 being guided by and ingrounded relation Wlljh sa1d grounded terminal member.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto sub- JOHN S. BAKER.

